Israeli bombardments have flattened much of the Gaza strip and created a humanitarian disaster, Reuiters reports. Most Gazans have been left homeless, with food shortages threatening famine.

On Thursday, people poured out of Al-Bureij, Al-Maghazi and Al-Nusseirat refugee camps following attacks, with some families riding on donkey carts loaded with mattresses, luggage and children. Rain has turned earth to mud, adding to the misery.

In its daily briefing, the Israeli military claimed Israeli warplanes killed three Hamas fighters who had tried to detonate explosives next to ground troops, and Israeli soldiers killed two more.

Later the military said soldiers had destroyed an underground military compound on the Gaza Strip coast with a weapons cache including mortars, grenades, and RPG missiles.